Sushi
Sushi has been one of the world’s most popular foods for years. It originated in Japan and its main ingredients are sushi rice with fish, shellfish and vegetables.
Why is sushi such a healthy dish? Because it is low in calories, low in fats and high in protein.
Sushi is very easy to make at home. All you need to do is follow these instructions.
What do you need?
- Short-grain rice
- Nori dried seaweed
- Rice vinegar
- Soy sauce
- Wasabi
Fillings for sushi:
- fish (tuna or salmon, amongst others)
- vegetables (e.g. cucumber, avocado, pepper, carrot)
- boiled eggs
- fish roe
- red meat… the choice of filling depends on the type of sushi you want to make.
- A sushi mat
Preparation
- For the vinegar: mix the rice vinegar with sugar in a ratio of 3:1. For example, three tablespoons of vinegar to one tablespoon of sugar.
- For the rice: wash the rice under running water to get rid of the starch. Simmer over a low heat for 20 minutes. Drain the rice of any surplus water then add the sugared vinegar bit by bit. Leave to cool to room temperature.
Maki rolls: Roll out the sushi mat and cover it with plastic wrap. Lay a sheet of nori in the centre of the mat, making sure it does not cover the whole surface. Create an even layer approximately 1 cm thick of rice on top of the nori. Arrange your choice of finely-chopped filling in a horizontal line across the rice, about one-third of the way in. Pick up the section of mat nearest to you and slowly roll the rice and nori up over the filling to form a tube. As you roll, press down gently to compact the filling. You now simply need to cut the maki crossways into individual rolls.
Nigiri: Cut your fresh, raw fish into thin slices. Take a small amount of the sushi rice and form it into a croquette-like shape the same length as the strips of fish. Then put a small dot of wasabi on the rice and lay the raw fish on top.
Uramaki: This follows the same process as the makis, but in a different order. First, spread out the bed of rice, then put the nori on top and then the filling. If you wish you can also roll the resulting tube in sesame seeds before slicing.
You should serve the tray of sushi with a bowl of soy sauce and another of wasabi for people to help themselves.
